I have been considered a book hoarder ever since I filled up my bookshelf for the first time. I have been told that keeping books in my home would make my space look cluttered and unorganized. But nothing gives me more serotonin than being surrounded by bookshelves filling every blank space. For years I volunteered to restock shelves at my school’s libraries and always begged my mom to stop at the Barnes & Noble on our way home; and don’t get me started on the adrenaline rush that came with the annual Scholastic book fair.
I have always loved books. I love the smell of old pages, physically turning each page, and staying up until two in the morning, promising myself ‘just one more chapter’. I find myself always getting emotionally attached to every book I read. It is hard trying to part with a book, even if it is just to borrow from a friend.
I didn’t realize how attached I was to my mini-library in the making until I had to live my life not having books lying around. When you have to move after every school year, moving those books is a hassle on its own. Many of the books I had from childhood had to be donated, thrown away, or got lost in various moves over the past ten years.
But now as an adult and avid reader, I now have the opportunity to work on my personal library and live my Beauty and the Beast dreams; library ladder and all. Some might not consider a vast number of books, most likely living their lives on a shelf never to be opened again, as a collection or a hobby. Many people might consider them clutter and taking up space. To me, my collection of books and mini-library reminds me of various times of my life, who I was when I last read this book, and the underlined sections reminding me of how I felt when I first read the written words.
Every collector has a passion for what they choose to possess. Whether it is coins, vintage Star Wars figurines, or in my case books, there is an emotional attachment, a passion, to those things. My collection is always going to grow and all of my shelves will be filled with a million adventures.
So, what do you think? Is keeping books considered collecting?
Danielle Spera Weekly 
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